6 Tips For Taking the Praxis Exam

It is just a test. I know it costs money, and I know it determines the rest of your life...but it doesn’t. If you are taking the Praxis then you already know that tests and exams don’t actually reflect on your intelligence. You know that just because some people are good test takers doesn’t mean they actually know the material. You also know that just because people know the material doesn’t mean they will test well. It sounds like a lose-lose situation, but it isn’t. You. Got. This. If you fail, it DOES NOT mean you are going to fail as a teacher. I repeat. If you fail, it DOES NOT mean you are going to fail as a teacher.

Here are some tips for studying as well as ways to reduce your Praxis anxiety.

1. Take the practice test

Take the practice test to understand what your strengths are, as well as the topics you may need to improve on. Taking a practice test will give you an idea of what the exam will be like. Taking practice exams will also get you more comfortable with the idea of taking the exam. Imagine walking into taking the exam taking zero practice tests vs taking practice tests.

2. Study with a friend

There is no one else better to study with than someone who knows what you’re going through. For some reason, teachers really have a knack for finding ways to learn creatively. Finding a future teacher that is in the same boat as you will give you two brains creating unique ways to study and remember the material.

3. Use your resources

You have plenty of notes from classes that you know you saved because you’re a teacher AKA hoarder. Use what you have to help you study. Seeing your old notes and books can help jog your memory of what you may have learned and talked about in class.

4. Deep breathes

Don’t forget to breathe. Whenever you get frustrated take a step away or a brain break and take deep breathes. Focusing on your breathing will help you relax because you aren’t focused on whatever problem or material is stressing you out.

5. Little by little

Do not sit down all in one night to learn all the material. Set goals for yourself. Reasonable goals. For example, maybe focus on math for one week or focus on a specific theorist in one study session. Do not try to cram for everything each time you study. Not only will it feel like it is impossible, you will get frustrated and burn out before you learn anything.

6. Be your own student

Treat yourself like you’d treat your own students. You would never be negative towards them, instead, you’d encourage them. If they got a problem right, you’d be proud of them. If they got a problem wrong, you’d find out where they messed up and work from there. Be the inspirational, positive and encouraging teacher you want to be to yourself.

22 Girl Names Your Random College Roommate Will Have, And The Type Of Roommate They Are

All you can do is hope and pray that they'll just leave you alone for the most part. A lot of the time, you can get a hint about what kind of roommate they'll be just knowing their first name.

1. Hailey

Her dad pays her rent. She can't cook. Litters the kitchen with take out boxes from the local vegan joint.

2. Beth

Totally wants you to go to SoulCycle with her at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. Room is littered with leggings and sneakers.

3. Michelle

Comes home at 3 a.m. after a night of heavy drinking. Loudly makes some sort of frozen meal. Sleeps through her noon alarm.

4. Victoria

Probably has dark hair and an acoustic guitar. Keeps pretty much to herself. Does homework in the living room at obscure hours.

5. Madison

Was on the dance team in high school and has not stopped telling you about how great it was. Does work out videos on the TV in the living room.

6. Kim

Brings her boyfriend over every night of the week. Brings different boys home on the weekends.

7. Megan

Actively avoids cleaning the bathroom. Leaves her dishes in the sink. You haven't seen her shower in four days.

8. Erica

Normal. Quiet. Wants to be a high school English teacher.

9. Erika

Wild. Emotionally distraught always. Is always hosting the pre-game. Never comes home with all of the clothes she left wearing.

10. Sarah

"Definitely should have got into Harvard, but I ended up here instead." Too into trying to get a 4.0 to pay attention to you.

11. Julia

Studies music performance. Screams expletives at her keyboard. Cannot play the trumpet, but still tries really hard.

12. Hannah

So tall she almost hits her head on the doorways. Plays basketball. Raps to old Kanye in the shower.

13. Jenny

Should not be allowed to go out. Goes out every weekend anyway. Throws up in your bathtub and doesn't always address it in the morning.

14. Heather

Stressing about her internship. Is currently failing all of her classes. Will somehow still get a 3.5 GPA this semester.

15. Grace

You never see her, only the hairballs she leaves all around your place.

16. Emma

Only has guy friends because "it's easier." Guy friends who leave empty beer cans out after every sporting event on TV.

17. Caitlyn

Has a 4.0 as a biology major. Is going to med school. Sterilizes her room, the bathroom and the kitchen sink every four hours.

18. Sam

Always has a paper about feminism to write. Rosie the Riveter poster in her room.

19. Alex

Is probably dating her boss. Has straight Ds in all her classes.

20. Taylor

Is somehow always home when you're home. You know nothing about her other than where she's from.

21. Alyssa

Trying to become the next big YouTuber. Has lighting equipment all over the place. You constantly hear the phrase, "Hey guys, welcome to my channel!" She squealed because yesterday she hit 25 subscribers.

The Land Of The Free Isn't Brave Enough To Tell The Full Story Of Our History To Kids In School

Looking back to what I was taught in elementary, middle, and high school, particularly in my history classes, I have come to realize that American schools, at least from my personal experience, sugarcoat a lot of portions of history. The education system teaches a type of history in which the dark, dirty part of history is conveniently glossed over and omitted from much of the curriculum that students are taught.

Looking back, even as early in elementary school, I cannot recall a single instance in which a teacher spent an adequate amount of time discussing parts of American history that are painful to hear, whether it be the wars that the U.S. partook in abroad or the atrocities and crimes against humanity that the U.S. engaged in here.

From a young age, we are taught to celebrate Christopher Columbus and other settlers that made their way to the Americas, naively celebrating them for settling this place that eventually came to become this “great nation.”

Yet, when something like Thanksgiving is discussed in school, we fail to recognize the brutal reality that this country was founded on. I can sincerely say that I did not learn about the real, violent history of what Native Americans endured with colonization (and continue to endure as a direct result of this brutal part of history) during my primary school years.

In my educational experience prior to college, I also cannot recall any of my teachers or textbooks going into detail about slavery. Yes, slavery was touched upon, but the dirty, horrendous reality that slaves were subjected to since prior to this nation’s inception was not actively discussed. And this kind of glossing over can be seen when I learned any other kind of history in my schooling prior to college.

Whether it was Japanese internment camps which violated Japanese and Japanese-Americans’ constitutional rights in this country, movements such as those for women's’ rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, or the United Farm Workers’ movement, or CIA-backed regime changes, coups, and backing of brutal dictators abroad have seldom been mentioned once, if at all, in any of my history classes.

In fact, on the contrary, none of my classes or teachers ever taught history from a critical point of view in which they critiqued the U.S. or called it out for its brutality.

Even when taught current events, the U.S. is never discussed or analyzed from a critical perspective, and this kind of blind patriotism is ingrained in students. No doubt, there are things that the U.S. should be praised for, and that people should be proud of.

However, when one blindly loves their country and fails to recognize its shortcomings, corruption, or brutality, it is dangerous. Dangerous because when one fails to criticize their own country, this blind nationalism ensues and one falls into this idea that only their country is the best, and that other countries are inferior.

This kind of nationalism prevents people from seeing their country for what it is, or from recognizing when their nation is engaging in wrong, violent behavior.